Clasp for garment-supporters



(No Model.)

E. N. GAILLARD. CLASP FOR GARMENT $UPPORTERS.

No. 555,945. Patented Mar. 10, 1896.

ANDREW EGRNMM. FMOTOM'MOJNASNINGTUM D50 NITF rnrns ATENT OFFICE.

ELLA N. GAILLARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

CLASP FOR GARMENT-SUPPORTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 555,946, dated March 10, 1896.

Application filed Juno 3, 1895, Serial No. 551,447. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLA N. GAILLARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for Garment- Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is designed to provide a simple and eflicient clasp for stocking and other garment supporters, better adapted for engaging the garments securely Without cutting or tearing them, as hereinafter described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is afront elevation of my improved garment-supporter with part of a stockingleg clasped in it. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same on the line at a: of Fig. 1, with the front plate open. Fig. 3 is an inside face view of the front plate. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the clamp and part of the garment on line y y, Fig. l, the clamp being closed as when securing the garment. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a modified arrangement of the spring-catch for gripping the plates of the clasp together. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the clasp, as in Fig. 5.

The clasp consists essentially of the base plate Ct, having the headed stud h set in the center of the face of the plate or thereabout, and the cap-plate 0, having a socket cl for covering the head of the stud, and being hinged to the base-plate a at e in any approved way, so that the two plates will grip against each other when closed, and having a spring catch or catches, as f or g, or other like or equivalent devices, to grip the plates together with a margin of the garment between them where they bear against each other around the stud, and also grip the part stretched over the head of the stud between said head and the socket of the cap-plate, and so that the catches will grip the garment over the edge of one of the plates.

The catches g are fastened to plate 0 near the free extremity in a laterally-projecting order, whereby they are adapted to catch over the edge of plate a and at the same time grip the garment lying between them and the plate around the edge of said plate in a way affording secure holding of the garment on said edge in addition to the grip between the plain face of the plate and over the head of the stud, thus making, when two catches are used, four separate and distinct gripping-points, all of a nature not liable to out or tear the garment, and being distributed over a c011- siderable area of the garment, whereby the stresses are similarly distributed and liability of tearing is correspondingly diminished.

The plates at and c are mainly of circular form except in the parts where they are hinged together, but it may be preferred to vary the outline of the edge of the plate a where the catches engage it, as indicated at h or 10, or in any approved way that may enable the catches to grip the garment thereto to better advantage than on the circular edge.

A single catch g may be substituted for the two catches g if desired, as in Figs. 5 and 6, where it is located inside of the thumb-bit i, employed to facilitate opening the clasp.

The cap-plate c preferablyhas the internal flange at the base, including a space only large enough for the stud b with the garment folded over it to pass the flange, which flange has frictional effect on the garment, affording considerable holding power in a way to facilitate holding it without tearing. The flange may, however, be omitted, as in Fig. 7.

The base-plate a has a suitable yoke Z for connecting a suspender-strap m.

I am aware of the clasp described in Patent No. 537,974, in which there is an eye-plate and a stud-plate pivoted together in a way whereby the garment stretched over the head of the stud and through the eye is gripped at one point between the plates when under tension of the suspending-strap, but is liable to escape when tension is relaxed, as when the wearer is sitting, and I do not claim such device, mine being especially designed for positively and securely gripping the fabric under all conditions.

I am also aware that hinged plates, one of which has a stud for engaging an eyelet of the fabric and the other is contrived for a guard to prevent the fabric from escaping from the stud, have been used, and I do not claim such devices.

I claim-- 1. The combination of the flat base-plate having the headed stud in the center or thereabout, the cap-plate having the socket for the stud and the surrounding flat margin adapted to bear on the face of the base-plate around the stud, and one or more catches of the capplate adapted to grip the plates together, and grip between the plates and around the base of the stud a margin of the garment stretched over the top of the stud, said plates being hinged together and provided with means for connecting a Suspender-strap substantially as described.

2. The combination of the base-plate having the stud, the cap-plate having the socket for the stud, and also having the inner annular flange of the base, and one or more catches adapted to grip the plates together with a margin of the garment between them and stretched over the stud, said plates being hinged together and provided with means for connecting a suspender-strap substantially as described.

Signed at New York city, in the county and State of New York, this 12th day of February,

' ELLA N. GAILLARD.

lVitnesses:

W. J. MORGAN,

A. P. THAYER. 

